New Curriculum Reform in China and its Impact on Teachers

China, the developing country with the largest and oldest public education system, is transforming its education system through a nation-wide curriculum reform. This large-scale curriculum change signifies China\u27s complex and multi-dimensional processes and endeavors in empowering its educational system to meet the challenges and opportunities in the era of globalization. This paper reports on an interpretive case study with a particular interest in understanding the impact of the nation-wide curriculum reform on teachers in urban areas. Findings from this study present the complex dimensions of teachers’ lived experiences during this dramatic education change and shed new insights on the current teaching profession in urban China

Preparing Teachers to Educate for 21st Century Global Citizenship: Envisioning and Enacting

The changing educational landscape in global context and the increasing interconnectedness and interdependence of the world place unprecedented demands on teacher education programs to prepare teachers to educate for 21st century global citizenship in K-12 schools. To chart the course of preparing global educators for an interconnected world, the Faculty of Education at University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) Canada and UNICEF Canada have collaboratively developed an undergraduate course entitled Educating for Global Citizenship, which focuses on preparing teachers to teach for 21st century global citizenship and has been integrated as a compulsory course to UPEI's teacher preparation program. This paper is based on a three-year study examining teacher candidates' experiences in learning to educate for global citizenship, the changes of their perceptions on global citizenship education, and the challenges and achievements they experienced in educational practices. Findings from this study indicate the unique opportunities and challenges teachers face in learning to educate for global citizenship and suggest the necessity of integrating global citizenship education in teacher education program through a holistic approach

From Laoshi to partners in learning: Pedagogic conversations across cultures in an international classroom

Under the impact of accelerating globalization in the education sector, classrooms in Canadian higher education are becoming more and more internationalized with respect to the diversity of students, curriculum, educational philosophies and pedagogical relationships. This hermeneutic case study looked into the highly contested pedagogic issue of developing critical intellectuals in a Canadian international graduate program where the majority of the students are Chinese. Findings of this study affirm that the fundamental educational philosophies and values have become complicated conversations in a globalized learning environment. We argue that educators who teach international students to critique the unquestioned adoption of concepts that typify the academic fields’ present circumstances and engage in a continuing dialogue about how to create the critical meeting ground where criticality meets harmony.Keywords: globalization, internalization of higher education, criticality, harmony, Chinese international studentsSous l'impact de la mondialisation accélérée dans le secteur de l'éducation, les salles de classe dans l'enseignement supérieur au Canada sont de plus en plus internationalisées en ce qui concerne la diversité des élèves, le curriculum, les philosophies éducatives et les relations pédagogiques. Cette étude de cas herméneutique a examiné comment la pensée critique a été conceptualisée par des étudiants chinois et la question pédagogique très controversée du développement des intellectuels critiques dans un programme international canadien de deuxième cycle universitaire où la majorité des élèves sont des chinois. Les résultats de cette étude affirment que la valeur éducative fondamentale sur la criticité implique des discussions complexes et de profondes compréhensions interculturelles dans un environnement d'apprentissage global. Nous soutenons que les éducateurs qui enseignent aux étudiants étrangers devrait critiquer l'adoption incontestée des concepts qui caractérisent les circonstances actuelles des champs académiques et s'engager dans un dialogue continu sur la façon de créer le point de rencontre essentiel où se réunit la criticité et l'harmonie.Mots-clés: mondialisation; internalisation de l'enseignement supérieur; criticité; harmonie, étudiants internationaux chinoi

Civic Capacity and Engagement in Building Welcoming and Inclusive Communities for Newcomers: Praxis, Recommendations, and Policy Implications

As newcomers, immigrants and refugees contribute to social and cultural diversity, and play an important role in communities’ social and economic development. However, their talent, energy, and entrepreneurial spirit and skills can only be fully harnessed when the communities are welcoming and inclusive. Drawing from a two-year qualitative research study conducted in the Province of Prince Edward Island, Canada, this paper examines the degree of civic capacity, along with policies and practices related to building a welcoming and inclusive community for immigrants and refugees. Through examining civic capacity and high-impact practices and programs to support the integration of immigrants and refugees, this paper shares new insights on how community stakeholders interact with each other to support or subvert the inclusion and equity in the community and offers policy implications and practical recommendations on building welcoming communities for immigrants and refugees in small communities

Empowering International Students as Global Citizens: Promising Praxis for Virtual Global Learning

The COVID-19 global pandemic disrupted the traditional ways of providing global learning to students in higher education, and offered international students new opportunities to develop intercultural competency in a virtual environment. Anchored in literature, teaching reflection, student reflection, and critical global citizenship education theory and practices, this article analyzes and discusses the andragogic, cultural, linguistic, academic, and technological dimensions of providing meaningful and inclusive global learning and engagement to international students in a virtual/online environment. Placing international students at the centre of critical academic decisions, this article introduces promising practices and strategies for empowering international students as global citizens, such as dealing with sociocultural and geopolitical issues, preparing international students for online learning, creating an open and safe online environment, situating intercultural learning and collaboration in authentic contexts, and practicing critical reflexivity

Multi-stakeholder Partnership in Teacher Education and Development

While there is a growing interest in offering international teaching practicums to pre-service teachers as an approach to developing teachers\u27 global perspectives on education, however, understanding of the impact of such practice on the host communities is insufficient or absent. This study collected data from multiple sources and, using the Theory of Change framework, examined the impact of pre-service teachers\u27 international practicum on the school and community development in Kenya. Through exploring the context of host communities, the perceptions of Kenyan educators, and the changes that have occurred in Kenyan schools and communities, this study revealed positive development changes in Kenyan schools as the result of hosting pre-service teachers. A model of forming multi-stakeholder global partnership in higher education was presented to make the international teaching practicum a reciprocal professional development opportunity for educators in both sending and receiving countries

Conducting Hermeneutic Research in International Settings: Philosophical, Practical, and Ethical Considerations

Hermeneutics has been theorized and applied as a philosophical framework and interpretive research methodology which pays particular attention to linguistic, social, cultural, and historical contexts to understand the life world and human experiences. While adopted as a qualitative research approach in the fields of education, nursing, psychology, and legal studies, its use is emerging in other human service disciplines. The rich philosophical and theoretical legacy embedded in this research methodology often presents unique challenges and a steep learning curve for researchers, particularly when the research is conducted in international settings. Drawing from insights gained from two hermeneutic studies conducted in Kenya and China, this paper presents considerations for designing a hermeneutic research inquiry. In addition to philosophical, practical, and ethical issues researchers need to consider when designing and implementing hermeneutic studies in international settings, we examine factors and strategies to facilitate successful data collection and interpretation. 

Critical Pedagogy of Discomfort in Community-Based Learning: Kenyan Students\u27 Experiences

Community-based learning (CBL) is employed as a pedagogical approach in professional programs globally; however, transferability of Eurocentric CBL models and theory to university settings outside the global north is under-examined. Adopting critical hermeneutics as the theoretical and methodological framework, this study explored the meaning of community-based learning (CBL) to Kenyan university students in a human services program and examined the complexity of students’ difficult learning experiences in making connections between classroom learning and praxis in Kenyan communities. Data were collected from six university students following 12-week placements with community organizations in Kenya. Findings revealed disciplinary, historical, cultural and extra-linguistic factors related to students’ difficult and uncomfortable learning experiences as human service professionals in training. Recognizing critical civic engagement in Kenya is closely associated with social and cultural contexts, this article recommends the pedagogy of discomfort be integrated into CBL curriculum and praxis to mitigate negative reactions to challenging CBL experiences. The article concludes with implications for enhancing critical CBL literacy and praxis

Indigenous Perspectives on Community Service-Learning in Higher Education: An Examination of the Kenyan Context

To understand community service-learning (CSL) in global contexts, an Indigenous perspective is needed to reflect the range of contextual and historical issues. Theoretical discussions of CSL generally reference theories of experiential and reflective learning; however, work in critical pedagogy and anti-colonial discourse can be utilized to generate a framework that embraces the breadth and depth of CSL in different regions. Extant research on CSL in Africa has found that student learning and development are influenced by pressures faced by the higher education system as well as historical and contextual issues encountered by students while engaged in CSL.  As discussed in this article, incorporating an Indigenous perspective within existing theoretical frameworks can enable the development of models, pedagogical approaches, and practices that reflect needs of Kenyan communities. The authors present a rationale for further CSL research in Kenya to ensure culturally sensitive, theoretically sound, and non-exploitive CSL that fosters positive outcomes for students, partner organizations, communities, and higher education institutions.